Leaving Virginia proved to be a contradictory experience- as the time to move drew increasingly closer, I began to have feelings of joy and excitement, sadness and longing, sometimes at the same time. I was happy to be closer to friends and family back in New England, to put an end to the grueling 2 hour/each way commute that had me away from home for at least 12 hours a day, and to be able to spend more time with Scott and Studley. The possibilities of finding work and housing back in New England were also exciting after our experience in DC. However, it was really hard leaving the friends and lifestyle that I'd made for myself over the past few years. It was also a little daunting having to remind myself that while I was going back to Portland, things would inevitably be different from when I lived there last.
In between trying to find housing, employment, taking advantage of having health insurance while I still had it, and saying good-bye to people in DC, I decided to not further stress myself out by trying to finish my DC Bucket List. I decided that I would rather spend my time and finances doing things with friends that I would not see for a while, or perhaps ever again. However, I am hoping to come back to DC for a visit some time next year, and hope to work on the items that I didn't check off on my Bucket List.
The days, as they are want to do, flew by, and before we knew it, it was almost time to leave. The week before we left, we heard news reports of a "Frankenstorm" that was due to hit the East Coast when we were supposed to move. The weekend was spent packing and saying good-bye to people. My last day of work at American University was due to be October 29th, but as luck would have it, the storm, Sandy, hit the DC area Sunday night and AU was closed on the 29th and the day after. It would have been nice to have the closure of saying good-bye to one of the few constants in my life over the past 3 years, but perhaps it was better to avoid the tearful good-byes. It also gave us more time to pack as my parents, who had generously agreed to help us move, could not get down to us. Fortunately, we did not lose power, and were able to stay in the apartment until the 1st.
Without going into details, the move was arduous to say the least. Like many things in life, it was more financially- and time-consuming than we had originally anticipated. The roads were ok, but there were lodging and gas shortages throughout the storm-affected areas in New York and New Jersey. Somehow, everyone made it back alive. Barely. Sleep deprived and emotionally drained, we arrived in Maine on November 2nd/3rd. It is great being back in vacationland, but a part of me will always miss the hustle and bustle of the Capitol. Stay classy, DC!
In between trying to find housing, employment, taking advantage of having health insurance while I still had it, and saying good-bye to people in DC, I decided to not further stress myself out by trying to finish my DC Bucket List. I decided that I would rather spend my time and finances doing things with friends that I would not see for a while, or perhaps ever again. However, I am hoping to come back to DC for a visit some time next year, and hope to work on the items that I didn't check off on my Bucket List.
The days, as they are want to do, flew by, and before we knew it, it was almost time to leave. The week before we left, we heard news reports of a "Frankenstorm" that was due to hit the East Coast when we were supposed to move. The weekend was spent packing and saying good-bye to people. My last day of work at American University was due to be October 29th, but as luck would have it, the storm, Sandy, hit the DC area Sunday night and AU was closed on the 29th and the day after. It would have been nice to have the closure of saying good-bye to one of the few constants in my life over the past 3 years, but perhaps it was better to avoid the tearful good-byes. It also gave us more time to pack as my parents, who had generously agreed to help us move, could not get down to us. Fortunately, we did not lose power, and were able to stay in the apartment until the 1st.
Without going into details, the move was arduous to say the least. Like many things in life, it was more financially- and time-consuming than we had originally anticipated. The roads were ok, but there were lodging and gas shortages throughout the storm-affected areas in New York and New Jersey. Somehow, everyone made it back alive. Barely. Sleep deprived and emotionally drained, we arrived in Maine on November 2nd/3rd. It is great being back in vacationland, but a part of me will always miss the hustle and bustle of the Capitol. Stay classy, DC!
